Vatican newspaper harshly denounces 'ethnic cleansing'

VATICAN CITY (AP) - In its strongest language yet, the Vati- can denounced the "ethnic cleansing" in Kosovo, calling it an atrocity that is "unchristian and inhuman."

The harsh words came from the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, as a new wave of refugees from the Yugoslav province was pouring over the borders into Macedonia and Albania on Saturday.

The Vatican tried without suc-cess to mediate the Kosovo crisis, sending several envoys to the region.

Although it denounced the bloodshed, it shied away from making too strong or too direct an attack on the Yugoslav leadership, apparently in hopes of keeping its channels of communication open with Belgrade.

But L'Osservatore Romano minced few words.

The newspaper said "violence, deportations and mayhem are inflicted on the unfortunate Kosovars, as well as the iniquity of ethnic cleansing."

"Nobody can ignore how unchristian and inhuman this 'cleansing' is," the newspaper said. "No one, with any argument, can excuse the torturers who practice it."